Bamboo Flooring: DIY vs Professional

Whether you have decided on bamboo flooring because of its cost benefits, durability, sustainability or aesthetic appeal, you now have to decide whether or not to install it yourself. Do it yourself projects can save you money but they require a lot of time and patience. Let’s look at a few things to consider before diving into installing your own bamboo flooring and some of the possible cost benefits:

Cost of bamboo flooring

The cost of bamboo flooring is going to depend on the type of bamboo you buy. An average-sized room is 12×12 feet and the average cost of bamboo flooring is $3 to $6 per square foot. So the raw material costs can run you anywhere from $450 to just over $900.

Removing old flooring

The existing subfloor will be a major factor in deciding whether or not a DIY option is possible. You will need to assess if the existing subfloor needs to be removed or if you can place the bamboo floor on top of what is already there.

If the floor needs to be taken off, you need to figure out the cost of renting or owning equipment to rip out a floor. If carpet lies on top on concrete, you’ll have an easier time removing the carpet and laying the flooring on top of the concrete as opposed to removing an already existing wood floor and creating a surface that will support bamboo flooring.

Cost of sub floor removal

If replacing the subflooring is above your skill level, you can hire a carpenter to remove the existing floor and install plywood or new floor joists. The cost of a carpenter can range from $20 to $40 an hour, depending on where you live.

Depending on the shape of your floor it can take up to six hours to remove and fix, so that bamboo flooring can be installed. So that would be an additional $120 to $240 to hire a professional.

Cost of bamboo flooring installation

Installing bamboo floors can cost about $3 to $5 per square foot. In some instances that cost includes the removal of the subflooring, but other times it’s simply laying down the material. You are looking at an additional $450 to $760 for getting a professional to lay down the flooring.

Cost of DIY bamboo flooring

Of course there are additional materials costs that you need to consider when doing it yourself. You’ll need to consider how much it costs to buy glue, adhesive, underlay material, stains, sealants and cleansers. Sealants cost about $40 per container. Glue adhesive costs about $75 per container. Material for applying these materials is about $20.

The cost of doing it yourself adds up but still doesn’t amount to the $500 to $1000 you are looking at to hire a professional. It’s an option to have the floor removed by a professional and laying the bamboo flooring yourself.

Keep in mind that hiring a professional might cost a lot of money, but if you are not skilled enough to do it right the first time, it will cost you money to get it fixed and possibly won’t look as nice.

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About Rosy Saadeh

Rosy Saadeh is a Social Media Manager and Marketer and spends her time scouring the net trying to make new friends, help clients and post interesting stories about real estate and the like in Canada. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.